The aim of this study was to determine if mothers display identifiably
different communicative styles in their interaction with their normally
developing two- to five-year-old children. In order to investigate this
issue an extensive coding system was developed, which assessed the
structural organization and the communicative function of the speech of
71 mothers as they interacted with their children. By means of factor
analysis three maternal communicative styles were distinguished: non-intervening, explaining and directing. In the non-intervening style there
is no direct pressure from the mother on the child to respond verbally.
The explaining mother is primarily concerned with providing information
to
her child in a way that gives the child little opportunity to
take the speaking turn. The directing mother is mainly engaged in
directing the child's behaviour by means of verbal control. The internal
consistency of the three communicative styles appeared to be both
satisfactory and related to relevant child and mother features.